In many ways the race to represent the 22nd Congressional District of New York echoes the national election for president.

There’s an experienced lawmaker running against a relative newcomer. A candidate who wants more domestic gas drilling against one whose top priority is alternative energy. A Republican who would offer tax credits to expand health care, and a Democrat who thinks the United States should offer national health coverage.

Democratic incumbent Maurice Hinchey and his Republican challenger, George Phillips, debated their views on national policy issues Tuesday during a meeting with the Times Herald-Record editorial board.

Hinchey is running for a ninth term. His opponent, Phillips, is a schoolteacher near Binghamton and used to work as an aide to Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey.

Hinchey falls in line with many policies advocated by the Democratic Party. He believes troops should be pulled out of Iraq — a war that he frequently calls illegal — and supports a national health-care system. But during his hour-long debate with Phillips, Hinchey paid special attention to alternative energy.

“We need to move away from foreign oil,” Hinchey said, noting that an investment in alternative energy could produce millions of jobs in our region.

Phillips, a moderate conservative, wants to give tax credits to small businesses that create new jobs and proposed a special envoy to negotiate between warring Muslim sects in Iraq.

He said his top focus would be to cut irresponsible government spending. He proposed a commission that would look at trimming government waste, similar to the commission that eliminated unnecessary domestic military bases.

“The question is, how can we be more efficient in government?” Phillips said.

In their debate, the candidates showed few major differences.

Phillips disagrees with Hinchey’s support of national health care. Phillips is an advocate of more off-shore gas drilling, which Hinchey opposes.

Source: Record Online